Marquardt Defends Biel Role in Playmates, Criticizes Harris

Bridget Marquardt has publicly supported Jessica Biel’s involvement in the upcoming film Playmates while sharply criticizing Crystal Harris, the final wife of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. The 53-year-old former model characterized Harris’s recent outreach to Biel as an attempt to garner attention, arguing that the actress should ignore such interference and continue with the project.

Marquardt Dismisses Harris Intervention

During an appearance on The TMZ Podcast, Marquardt addressed the controversy surrounding Harris’s text message to Biel, which requested that the actress reconsider portraying Hefner’s wife in the movie written and directed by Lorraine Nicholson. Marquardt contended that Biel bears no obligation to respond to Harris or alter her participation based on external pressure.

The reality television personality, who maintained a long-term relationship with Hefner, emphasized the diverse narratives associated with the Playboy Mansion. “The mansion is a fascinating place because so many people have come and gone,” she stated. “Everybody has unique stories. Like there [aren’t] two stories that are similar. Everybody has their own experiences that they had there.”

Marquardt expressed frustration over attempts to suppress personal accounts, specifically noting her disagreement with Harris’s desire to prevent Nicholson from telling certain stories or excluding Biel from the production. “I don’t like that she doesn’t want Lorraine to tell the story or Jessica to be a part of it,” she said. “I feel like everybody should be allowed to tell their story. Positive or negative.”

Film Timeline and Character Clarifications

She suggested potential misunderstandings regarding the film’s historical setting, clarifying that the narrative unfolds during the 1990s. According to Marquardt, Harris may have incorrectly assumed that Biel’s role would directly depict her own life or era. She noted that the script does not focus on Harris’s period at all.

Instead, Marquardt explained that Biel would loosely portray Kimberley Conrad, Hefner’s second wife. Conrad shared two children with the Playboy founder before their marriage ended. The couple wed in July 1989 and finalized their divorce in March 2010.

Hefner subsequently married Harris on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2012. Their union continued until Hefner died at age 91 on September 27, 2017.